Semisa
The Semisa (pl. 'Semisae' interchangeably) are a classification of Mobius-centric animals that are believed to possess near-Human or Human-level intelligence, while not possessing the Human form, nor the ability to speak in any recognized language. The term itself is a contraction of 'Semi-'Sa'pient', which indicates that they are not on the same level of their Mobian kin. Though postulated to exist and allegedly have been documented in Terra Novan scientific journals dated in the early 24th Century, no individuals have been confirmed to exist in the 33rd Century, suggesting that the Semisae have died out, or have gone into hiding to escape their arguably more-evolved bipedal cousins. Description The Semisa at first glance appear like any other Terran creature, easily confused for any other animal on Mobius. This alone makes Semisae extremely difficult to locate in the first place, since physically speaking it would be akin to locating a needle in a haystack. Though physically impossible to differentiate from the other 'Four Legs' as the Terra Novan Mobians describe them, mentally they are worlds apart. According to scientific records of the time, Semisa are distinguished by their mental capacity. This is not immediately apparent until they are observed in groups, or even sometimes individually under certain circumstances, though the latter can give greater indication to their presence. In groups, Semisae will communicate in multiple ways. The first of which is in a manner of their biological form (i.e. pheromones, nonverbal communicative utterances, smell, or impulsive noise), but will also use gestures, mainly through head motions, eye motions, or even some facial expression. In 2399, a Terra Novan scientist by the name of Anthony Willard Shaw noted that when agitated, a captive mountain lion narrowed its eyes in a gesture of what was believed to be annoyance when a guard teased the animal with a piece of meat. Semisae can be of any species, though those that have been observed have been predators like canines, ursines, or felines. Hypothetically any genus of creature can be considered part of this interesting part of the animal kingdom, though they have been far harder to locate, and even harder to scientifically prove. Some believe that in an effort to disguise themselves, Semisae will 'play dumb' for researchers to hide themselves. However, despite having relatively much higher intelligence than the rest of their four-legged kin, Semisae are still driven by instinct and do not have the capacity to form large societies, and do not seem to be governed by a morality system seen with many sentient species, such as Mobians. Instead, they will do what they need to do to survive in their environments. As they do not possess a Humanoid form, they cannot construct devices or structures, but like Cetaceans, they utilize tools to accomplish tasks. Morphology As stated in the previous section, Semisae are incapable of Human speech, or any type of recognized language. According to studies conducted in 2407, Semisa biology differs little from other non-sapient animals. The crucial difference for the allowance of speech, a descended larynx, as well as a hyoid bone, are not present in many of these creatures, forcing them to communicate in their own ways. It is unknown whether or not Semisae understand this, as very few have been studied in great detail. When in the presence of Human researchers, what little Semisae were uncovered and captured exhibited little in the way of communication outside of primal noises. It is possible that the creatures simply refused to speak, but given the structure of the individuals' voice boxes, this is not likely. Terra Novan Mobians, for clarification, possess both a hyoid bone in addition to a descended larynx as well as a cranial capacity similar to that of Humans, with enough neural activity to not only recognize and comprehend speech, but to replicate it and expand upon it, making them fully sentient. Psychology Individual Semisa will operate much like their non-sapient counterparts, working through their lives mostly on instinct. What is interesting is that they understand cause and effect far greater than non-sapient creatures, which indicates that they have a concept of linear time as well. A Semisa will see that an object is located on a shelf, and will locate a series of objects to create steps or a ramp to reach the object. In a field example, a Semisa canid that was native to a certain part of the Great Wilderness became deeply in-tune with the local geography. A river ran through this particular stretch of forest, which was used to conduct an experiment in 2527. A ball with a transponder was released into the river with the canid instructed to get the ball. The Semisa did not immediately jump into the river, but began to walk down it, keeping an eye on the ball, which was visible in the flow. The canid then began to accelerate, no longer looking at the ball, but never deviating from the course of the flow. After approximately fifteen minutes of motion, the canid entered a shallow bar of the river, and intercepted the ball, ending the experiment. The conclusions drawn from this is that an individual native to the location would understand the flow of the river, and would understand that an object would eventually make its way through a certain section that was easily navigable. Once again, this displays cause and effect, but spacial awareness and geographical affinity; something that no non-sentient creature possessed. In groups however, the activity changes, with an alpha making themselves known immediately while others actively acknowledge them. To accomplish a task, each Semisa takes an active role, filling parts to accomplish the task. In the same example of gathering an object off a shelf, work is split, and each Semisa located a suitable object to create the same staircase while the alpha of the group actually accomplishes the task. The alpha also oversees work. In a fight, communication occurs with the alpha acting in the same capacity as a military commander, ordering others through gestures, crude paw motions, or sound signals. This was observed in only one instance in 2519 when two warring factions met in the Great Wilderness. Mobian scientists from the Kingdom of Acorn observed that some Semisae broke away from their main group and flanked an enemy force, locking them in a pincer movement, much like an organized military force would split their forces in two to trap an enemy. This indicates that they are aware of basic strategy, but also that they can form a basic fighting force. Unfortunately, since communication is impossible, and since any 'culture' is massively different than Humanity or Mobians, there is not much else to know about how the Semisa mind operates. Numbers Since they are hard to locate in the wild, Semisa numbers are just as difficult to pinpoint. In the 24th Century, Semisa population across many genii was suggested to be around 5 million, though this was massive speculation based on specimens in captivity. As of the 33rd Century, it's impossible to accurately predict across the continents. Based on the fact in the current date, Semisa are only suggested to still exist, it's possible that their numbers have thinned, if not died out nearly entirely. It is impossible to be certain. However, during the Great War of 3220, several stranded soldiers claimed to observe Semisa activity in the Great Wilderness. Much of this has been chalked up to superstition acting upon tired military personnel. Legend of their existence has been passed down through the centuries and may have made the creatures far more populous than they actually are. Trivia * Some Semisae were observed to suffer a genetic abnormality: their eyes were noted to be like those of a Human being, regardless of genus. This is believed to be caused by genetic code partials that had been inserted into Semisa progenitors during the interaction with the weakened Gene Bomb remnants. List of Appearances * The Great War: Alone (possible appearance) Category:Mobius Category:Mobian Category:Species